Wire-stretcher.



E. P. ANDERSON.

WIRE STRETCHER. APPLICATION msn ocr. 26. |916.

Patented July 3, 1917.

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MHTNESSES' BY W ,N N

ATTORNEY UNIT AEN FFI@.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 191'?.

Application filed October 26, 1916. Serial N o. 127,868.

To all fui/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN P. ANDERSON', a citizen of the United States, residing at Dalbo, in the county of Isanti and State of `Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to wire stretchers, and more particularly to a stretcher which is capable of stretching or tensioning a strand of wire in one direction, or may be attached to the adjacent end portions of two strands of wire so as to draw them toward each other and enable their adjacent ends to be secured together by twisting or wrapping in the usual manner.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher of the character stated of simple construction and operation provided with simple and efficient means for attachment to a single strand of wire, or to two adjacent strands, optionally. A further object is to provide a slidable element carrying the wire gripping means in combination with a tubular element adapted to be secured to a post or fixed abutment for stretching purposes, in combination with means for imparting longitudinal movement to the sliding element. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stretcher Vas used for stretching two strands of wire so as to bring the end portions thereof into position to be secured together, l

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the stretcher as used for tensioning a single strand of wire, I

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view through one of the gripping collars, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the collar mounted on the slidable sleeve.

The elongated sleeve 1 has its inner end turned outward to provide an integral peripheral `flange 2. A heavy collar 3 is rotatably mounted about the lsleeve adjacent the inner end thereof and is provided with diametrically oppositelugs or pins 4. These pins extend through apertures through the odset portions 5 of the arms 5 of an operating lever 6. This. lever extends'beyond the sleeve in both directions and is' pivotally and rotatably connected thereto by means of the ring or collar 3 and lugs or pins 4.

A rod 7 is slidably mounted through sleeve 1. This. rod is provided, at one end,

with a split clamp 8 loosely secured about the same between two spaced pins 9 secured through the rod at each end of the clamp. These pins act to prevent movement of the clamp longitudinally of the rod while permltting rotary movement about the rod. The clamp is provided, at one end, with two integral hooks 10 which are bent in opposite directions into approximately circular shape so as to provide, in effect, a split cylindrical guide sleeve into or from which the wire 11 may be readily inserted or removed, as dcsired. Th-e clamp 8 is further provided, di ametrically opposite to the hooks 10, with an integral longitudinally extending plate 12. This plate loosely receives a link 13 the outer end of which is passed through a plate 14 of a clamping member. This plate 14 is provided with a rectangularly disposed arm 15. This arm coperates with a gripping bloclr 16 which is pivotally mounted on the plate 14 and which has its side wall curved eccentric to its pivotal axis and is so mounted relative to the arm 15 as to coperate therewith to provide an eccentric clamp or grip for gripping the wire to be tensioned. The block being so directed as to be adapted to grip tightly on to the wire when the rod 7 is moved through the sleeve 1.

A short sleeve 17 is loosely mounted on the rod 7 in advance of sleeve 1. This short sleeve, when stretching a single strand of wire, is mounted between a pin 18 secured through the rod near the outer end thereof, and a Cotter pin 19 inserted through an aperture through the rod. This permits the sleeve 17 to swing about the rod but prevents it from moving longitudinally of the rod.' Sleeve 17 is provided with an integral downwardly extending arm 20 which is bent outward at right angles to provide a gripping jaw 21. This gripping jaw coperates with a gripping block 22 which is pivotally mounted on the arm 20 as at 23. This block is provided with two eccentrically disposed gripping surfaces positioned equi-distant from its pivotal axis, one of which is adapted to cooperate with the jaw 21 to rmlyV grip a wire so as to stretch it in one direction, while the other is adapted to grip a wire for stretching in the opposite direction. The block is provided with two` diametrically opposite integral ears 24 for adjustment about its pivotal axis.

A clip 25 is secured about ther outer end portion of the sleeve 1. This clip is provided with two diametrically opposite integral ears 26. A stirrup 27 is pivotally -secured to one of these ears and receives the end link of a securing chain 28 which is adapted to engage over a hook 29 secu-red to the sleeve 1. By this means the sleeve may be secured to a post 30, or other suitable lixed member so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the sleeve. By securing the sleeve 1 against movement, as in Fig. 2 oi the drawings, and securing the wire l1, which has been passed through the guide member 10, between the clamping block 22 and jaw 21, and then moving the rod 7 through sleeve in the direction of the arrow, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the wire may be tensioned as desired.

For the purpose of imparting this longi# tudinal movement to the rod 7 through sleeve ll, I prov-ide gripping elements which are operated by the lever 6. A relatively heavy gripping collar 3l is mounted on the rod 7 `at one side oi lever 6. This collar is provided with a bore which is of Somewhatgreater diameter than the rod so as to permit a slight rocking vmovement of the collar longitudinally of the rod. j This collar is provided with two spaced integral ears 32,

and a link 33 has its outer end pivotally se-V cured between these two ears and itsinner end pivotally secured between the arms 5 of lever 6 at a point above the offsets 5a of the arms. Thisllink is provided, adjacent its 4outer end, with a reduced portion 33a which provides upper and lower shoulders 34. A coil spring 35 is mounted about this reduced portion of the lever and has itsouter end bent downward to form a `finger 36 which engages the inner face of the collar 31 below its pivotal axis. This spring acts normally to force the collar outward about the pivot 37 so as to maintain it at a slight inward inclination with the upper inner and outer lower portions of the collar adjacent the bore which receives the rod in biting engagement with the rod, as in Fig. 3 of the drawings. lith the collar 31 in this position it will be evident that, if the -lever 6 be swung forward so as to exert tension on the link 33, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the collar 31 will be forced into biting engagement with the rod 7 so as `to move the rod longitudinallly through the lixedly secured sleeve 1. A collar 3Ssimi'lar to collar 31 is mounted about rod 7 betweencollar 31 and `the lever G. This collar 3S is also ,provided with .two integral spaced ears 39 between which is secured the outer end of a short link 40 the inner end of which is Y.pivotally secured between the :lower ends'of the arms 5 of the 'lever Von the opposite side of'thepivotalaxis of'thelever from the link 33. The link 40'is provided with an outer reduced portion about which is mounted a coil spring 431 which acts to hold the collar 38 at an inclination so that, when the lcollars will grip the rod 7 so as tomove it longitudinally. This renders it possible to impart intermittent longitudinal movement to rod 7 by simply swinging lever 6 forward and backward about its pivotal axis. As the rod 7 is moved through the sleeve. 1 the wire 11 is stretchedv or tensioned, as previously described. v

When it is desired to force the adjacent ends of two stra-nds of ywire toward `each other, the stretcher is arranged as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. yThe cotter pin 19 is removed vfrom the rod 7, andthe short sleeve '17 is moved into a vposition closely adjacent the clip 25 secured on the end of sleeve 1. A link 4'2, which is secured through the other ear 26 of clipl 25, is passed over a stud 43 extending from the arm 20 and the cotter pin is .inserted through this stud in front of the link, thus securely connecting the sleeve 17 to sleeve, 1. The strand of wire 11 is secured to the end of rod 7 by the gripping means composed of the eccentricblock 16 and the coperating jaw 15. The other strand 11a is passed between the gripping jaw 21 and the eccentric block 22, which is reversed relative to its former position for' this purpose'. By operating the lever 6 as previously described, the rod 7 will be forced through the sleeve 1, andthe sleeve will be moved along the rod, thus exerting tension on the wires 11 and 11a in opposite directions so as to force them toward each other. During this operation, at least one of the collars 31and '38 will be in biting engagement with the rod 7 thusY efectually pre-4 venting movement lof the sleeve 1 along the rod .under the inliuence o i' lthe tension of the wires so as to slack Athe wires. With the wires secured in this position, and pr'operly tensioned, their .adjacent ends may be secured together by Ywrapping -ortwisting, as at 11b.` This provides simple andfe'llicient means .whereby two strands of wire may be quickly and easily tensionedand secured together at the center rof a panelY of fencing, as is often necessary 'in the event of a wire breaking or where 'it is desired to economize wire, by securing the, end of one strand to the end of a succeedingstrand so as to form a continuous wire yinstead of ending the wire at a'post as isoizten done.

vWhen itis desired to move the sleeve 1 longitudinally of rod 7, the gripping collars 31 and`38may'be moved A,manually against the action 0f Splings35 and 41 linto such a position as to be freelyslidable Aon rthe rod.

As soon as the desired adjustment has been made, the gripping collars are released and are moved in to gripping or operative position by the springs thus placing the stretcher in condition for immediate use.

There may be slight changes made in the construction and arrangement of the different parts of my invention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form only of my invention is disclosed. Y

That I claim is:

1. In a wire stretcher, the combination of a sleeve, a rod slidable through the sleeve, a lever pivotally mounted on the sleeve and extending beyond the sides of the same, said lever being mounted for independent rotary movement on the sleeve, a gripping collar mounted on the rod and having a bore of greater diameter than the diameter of the rod, a link pivotally connected at one end to the collar and at the other end to the lever at one side of its pivotal axis, means carried by the link and in engagement with the collar for normally holding the collar at an angle to the rod so as to be 1 in biting engagement therewith, a similar collar mounted about the rod, a link pivotally connected thereto and to the lever at the other side of its pivotal axis, and

means for normally holding the said collar at an angle to the rod so as to be in biting engagement therewith.

2. In a wire stretcher, a sleeve, a rod slidable through the sleeve, a collar rotatably mounted on the sleeve adjacent one end thereof, the end of the sleeve being provided with a peripheral flange adapted to engage the collar so as to prevent removal of the same from the sleeve, a lever pivotally mounted on the collar and extending beyond the sides of the same, a gripping collar mounted on the rod and having a bore of greater diameter than the diameter of the rod, a link pivotally connected at one end to the collar and at the other end to the lever at one side of its pivotal axis, means carried by the link and in engagement with the collar for normally holding the collar at an angle to the rod so as to be in biting engagement therewith, a similar collar mounted about the rod, a link pivotally connected thereto and to the lever at the other side of its pivotal axis, and means for normally holding the said collar at an angle to the rod sov as to be in biting engagement therewith.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN P. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

L. I. ANDERSON, ELMER ERICKSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

